Illinois quick hits: Planned vigil opposes physician-assisted suicide; NFIB urges veto of energy bill

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Planned vigil opposes physician-assisted suicide

A vigil is planned Thursday afternoon outside the State of Illinois building in Chicago’s West Loop, asking Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto a physician-assisted suicide bill.

The Catholic bishops of Illinois wrote to the governor asking for the veto of Senate Bill 1950 as a matter of “grave moral importance.”

Disability rights activists oppose the bill and county coroners also expressed “grave concerns.”

The vigil is scheduled from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at 555 W. Monroe St.

NFIB urges veto of energy bill

The National Federation of Independent Business is urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto the General Assembly’s energy omnibus.

The group representing more than 10,000 small business owners in the state argued against Senate Bill 25’s expansions of project labor agreement mandates, discrimination against non-union contractors and workers, and subsidies to be paid by Illinois ratepayers.

September unemployment

The Illinois Department of Employment Security has announced that the state’s unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.4% in September, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The number of unemployed persons was 287,000, down 1.9% from the prior month, and down 13.4% over the same month one year ago.

IDES said September data was released late due to the recent federal government shutdown.